Holiday cheer is about to roll through the cities of the Golden Triangle once again, as Christmas parades are on the horizon.
Festivities kick off with the Starkville Christmas Parade at 6 p.m. Monday on Main Street.
The parade will follow the theme “Christmas Royale,” and will feature former Major League Baseball pitcher Roy Oswalt as the grand marshal, according to an email from Starkville Main Street Director Paige Watson with the Greater Starkville Development Partnership.
“The Christmas parade is such a special event and wouldn’t be possible without our sponsor, Reed’s,” Watson said in a text to The Dispatch. “We are so proud that this year we have 80 applicants and the parade will be featured on even more broadcast channels. We are looking forward (to) a very special evening celebrating the holiday season in Starkville.”
The following evening, the fun will continue with the Columbus Christmas Parade. Starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, the “A Merry Musical Christmas” themed parade will roll through downtown, featuring MSMS Music Educator Dawn Barham as the grand marshal, according to Main Street Columbus Executive Director Barbara Bigelow.
“The Columbus Christmas Parade, a long-time favorite downtown tradition, is always a fabulous event which gets the entire community in the festive holiday spirit,” Bigelow said in a text to The Dispatch. “We are so excited to have all five area bands and a record number of participants in this year’s parade. (And) who knows, Santa may even order up some snow for us. As the theme says… it is sure to be a Merry Musical Christmas.”
Barricades will begin to go up around the Roger Short Soccer Complex at about 4 p.m. for parade staging, with more street closures following the parade’s route up by 5:30 p.m. The parade will roll from the Roger Short Soccer Complex down Main Street, before turning at 14th Street South to come back up College Street.
Caledonia will also be holding its own Christmas parade this year starting at 6 p.m. Dec. 7. Following the theme “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like A Caledonia Christmas,” the parade will start at Caledonia Elementary before winding through town and down Main Street, according to coordinator Jackie Savage.
Line up will begin at the elementary school at 4 p.m., with judging beginning at 4:30 p.m., Savage said. All are welcome to join.
Last but not least, the Christmas fun will make its way to West Point starting at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 9. The parade will feature grand marshal Deborah Mansfield and will follow the theme, “A Very Vintage Christmas,” according to Lisa Klutts, director of the West Point Clay County Growth Alliance.
“Excitement for the annual Christmas parade started in August when the community was already asking for an application to participate and what this year’s theme was,” Klutts said in a text to The Dispatch. “That makes me happy to know that not only do people look forward to watching this tradition, but they also want to get involved and be a part of making memories.”
Editor’s Note: This is an incomplete list of Christmas parades happening in the Golden Triangle this year. To submit your parade for possible publication in our calendar, please email [email protected].
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 47 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
